Left for dead on an alien world full of hellish creatures who want a piece of you with no food, water or shelter? Then you’re having a super-sized bad day, just like the one Riddick is having in “Riddick 3.”

This science fiction action adventure film directed by David Twohy, “Pitch Black” and “The Chronicles of Riddick,” stars Vin Diesel from the “Fast and the Furious” franchise as the tougher-than-steel, ninja-like anti-hero who’s determined to survive no matter what.

The character of Riddick is the sci-fi version of Hard-Luck Charlie. The film is an uncompromising gritty survival tale set on a harsh alien world. The film’s story is built on a simple frame work that is functional although predictable. The cast of characters are simple vehicles for action and plot advancement and offer little in the way of depth. “Riddick” does offer some great acting in the form of computer-generated characters ala Golem. In the great tradition of oddball sci-fi films, “Riddick” comes across as a mix of “Predator” and “Tremors” while remaining very true to the feel and intensity of the previous “Riddick” movies. However, like almost all sci-fi films, it falls prey to its own simplicity as the story reaches its resolution. Fans of the genre may find this forgivable as the payoff in a film like this is a colorful, brain-candy adventure that simply entertains.

The supporting cast performs much of the heavy lifting as Riddick himself is tight lipped and not one for soliloquies. Co-star Jordi Molla provides a great sense of timing and passion as the over-the-top heavy in charge of the mercenary crew after Riddick, while Katee Sackhoff of “Battlestar Galactica” steals the show as she balances out the testosterone-fueled action with her own bare-knuckled brand of smack down.

“Riddick,” partly produced by Vin Diesel, was made possible only after he leveraged his house in order to finish the film. That commitment to the idea of the story shines through in great special effects, visually compelling landscapes, high-impact fight sequences and memorable creature creations.

“Riddick” is a respectable end-cap to the trilogy, as its intriguing tale of survival on a forbidden planet far away in the eternal black is spectacle enough to warrant seeing on the big screen.